Using CAD and Excel together 1

[jkar]

I have heard that, one can compile on EXCEL a set of 3D coordinates and plot them directly on CAD (rather than manual entry on CAD one by one). How is done? Someone Please send me a link or tutorial on the same.
Am working on a project and the first assignment is to create a model. I have a whole set of coordinates for the model but the monotony of plotting is rather getting cumbersome.

 

[LHA]

Save your .xls file as TAB DELINEATED .txt (you need the tab).

Close .txt file.

Open .txt file in Word.

Under Tools, Options, Formatting Marks, check the All box.

The tabs are now visible as arrows.

Select an arrow, copy it.

Open Edit, Replace.

Click the cursor into the Find What box.

Hit Control V. This pastes the tab in.

Under Replace With, insert a comma (,)

Select Replace All.

Now the coordinates are in x,y,z format, which ACAD will recognize.

Remember: The Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is comprised of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
-Steve

 

[CarlB]

Another approach...

In a single column in Excel, combine your data in x,y,z format, using the "&" or "concatenate" function.

In AutoCAD, start the "multiple point" or "3dpolyline" command. Then copy and paste the data from Excel into the command line. AutoCAD reads the point data as command line input and draws it.

Good luck!

 

[maslowski]

I use a cheap program called DotSoft, XL2CAD.

http://www.dotsoft.com/

Very easy to use. Open Excel, do your typing, open Autocad, and start XL2CA program.

Program asks where and scale to insert the spreadsheet into
autocad.

 

[jkar]

Thanks Guys for the wonderful insights. I will get back to you with a confirmation on my success.

 

[MEM1]

I have a lisp app. that will do exactly what you want.

 

[jkar]

Thanks MEM1. Am not exactly familiar with lisp app. What is it and how does it work exactly. I really appreciate your help and concern.

 

[MEM1]

A lisp app is a small application that runs inside autocad. The one I have uses a text file that can be generated from excel. It has to be formatted like this example.

point # northing easting elevation point code

1 5000 5000 500 G

Running the lisp with this txt file will insert a point at location 5000,5000,500. The point # and point code would be plotted on a different layer and can be turned off as well as the elevation text. I would post the lisp here, but there is a block that goes with it. Post your question at

http://www.theswamp.org

I will look for it there. I would ask for an email, but the moderators here don't want email addresses posted because of attracting spammers.

 

[jkar]

lha, yours was a great suggestion. I have now been able to draw from a huge number of coordinates,quite fast. However, the process is not very interactive with CAD, I would appreciate if I can be able to add a linking capability(between spreadsheet and CAD) such that any changes on the spreadsheet can update the drawing automatically. Is that possible with AutoCAD?

 

[LHA]

I used to work with a young EIT fresh out of college.

I wanted to use what you are describing to create real-time pipe tables, linked to profiles.

He was adament that it is possible, but then he quit before we got to institute it.

Josh, or anyone else, if you are out there, now is the time to chime in...

Remember: The Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is comprised of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
-Steve

 

[twlincoln]

Importing coordinates from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with lines drawn between the points

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS55797

Draw polylines defined by equations

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS31405

 

[piledrvr]

To All, I am currently trying to develop a program to do what you're describing. I have transfered my excel data into Access and have been working on a macro that will link CAD to the spreadsheet. My ultimate goal is to have my drawings update when I update the spreadsheet. I will keep all informed if I can ever get this to work.

 

[IFRs]

A long time ago, I used OLE to link a spreadsheet to an autocad drawing. The spreadsheet had cells that represented the height, width and thcknesses of an I-Beam as well as section property calculations. The drawing had the cross section of the i-beam. If I stretched the drawing to make the i-beam larger, the spreadsheet changed. If I changed the celss in the spreadsheet, the drawing changed.

This was a long time ago but hopefully the technology has only gotten better. I'll try to find it and figure out how it worked.